An UFO to finish the year

 Hello peeps, it's the end of the year and what a year it has been.  

My nephew was christened, my brother got engaged (for those of you who don't know, he lives in Ecuador and met a lovely girl over there, who before moving to Ecuador lived just a couple of miles away from him in London-see the world is small!!), I went to many art exhibitions (including one that had live tattooing....with free cider!), saw a lot of live comedy, went to many vintage fairs, loved every minute of the Olympics and especially the Paralympics, saw lots of live music, a festival and re-embraced my love of outdoor wild swimming (which I grew up doing).  Oh yes, and work full time and lots of craft!!! (phew, reading this back its no wonder I am knackered!).

To end the year I finally finished my MDF banner I have been making.

It is hung above the window in the craft room
 

I added homemade resin pieces (purple jewels, pink roses and a steam punk piece above the letter t).  I dyed plain white lace with distress reinkers (shaded lilac and brushed corduroy), covered the MDF with TH papers and cut the letters out of my TH Sizzix wordplay die (my new Christmas pressie from my hubby......the boy did good!!.....downside is that it doesn't cut all the letters....but he has contacted the supplier and I am sure after the holiday season they will be back in touch and will sort it out).

I hope you all had a fabulous festive season and I look forward to 2013 with anticipation.....

Not sure about new years resolutions....they tend to put pressure on you (and I have enough of that) so maybe work less, craft more? 

Happy crafting

Kyla
 

On your marks, get set......

 Hello peeps....I am finally feeling almost back to normal after being poorly (well, as normal as a I can) and have decided to upload some photo's (couldn't post them before as they were Christmas pressies!).

So, the title of my post.  I seem to have inadvertently set myself 2 challenges over the past few days (because of course, this isn't a busy time of year at all!!) On 23rd December I had the brilliant idea to make my Dad a present....no quick project for me....nope....I decided to make him a scrap book!

One of my Coven secret santa gifts were 3 chipboard scrap books so I used one of those.  I printed out the photos and covered each of the papers with patterned papers, sanding back the edges to distress and soften them.  I then edged them with distress ink and on the front pages I added a couple of Tim Holtz metal corners,

I embellished most of the pages with cogs, ribbon and as my Dad is a keen photographer I included some Tim Holtz mini negative strips.  To add a little aged sparkle (well the photo's were from the suprise 70th party we threw Dad back in November!) I added some blue foil around the edges of the pages, rubbing back to expose the paper underneath in some areas (the blue edges on the picture below).

To decorate the cover I made a blue resin heart.  I coloured the resin by mixing in mica powder, it gives a lovely opaque colour with a fantastic depth of colour.  That is one of the great things about mica, it can be used in so many ways.

I was pleased I made my Dad a handmade gift......but I really do test myself by deciding it less than 48 hrs before it being opened!  

Challenge 2 is  I plan on starting the new year in a different way.....with a tidy craft room!!  To start I have bought 3 large lidded storage containers and am part way through sorting out all my fabric and sewing stash (which is dumped....and I mean dumped) that has been spilling behind my dining room table for more than year now.....I like the have some small triumphs before tackling the craft room....which those of you who follow me on WOYWW know that trying to sort out the craft room is no mean feat.....I am not planning on doing it all (I haven't totally lost my marbles yet!), I thought I would tackle one of the stacking drawer cabinets...they are  a bit of a glory hole so if I can tidy them up and organise them better I am hoping I may be able free up at least 1/2 a drawer for some of my Christmas craft stash!!

Wish me luck with my task....I may be some time!

Happy crafting
Kyla
 

WOYWW

I hope all of you are having a wonderful festive season and that you are all enjoying it.

As Julia over on WOYWW says this is a reminder that it is not the weekend and actually a Wednesday!

So, my desk...yes, seeing is believing.  I have tidied it!  I finished all the Christmas pressies so thought I would give my desk a Christmas present and cleaned AND wiped all the ink spray and gesso off it!!

This weeks Man Bites Dog cards are a little more festive (I must admit to trying a few combinations this time as the first few shuffles brought some very unfestive headlines!!): Mystery Angel Revealed New Star!!  Much more festive.

I had a brainwave at 20:00 on Christmas Eve to make some small gifts for the Christmas crackers (I  think I must have been crackers to start crafting then!!).  They are small stampboard squares with stamped images, coloured, glossy accents and magnets....voila, fridge magnets which I slipped into each of the crackers.

I was lucky enough to get Kate Cranes Vol 3 and 4 DVD's this Christmas (her Vol 1 and 2 are well watched in our house) so plan on curling up and watching that when I get a chance.

Happy Crafting

Kyla
 

Hearts and ear rings

Hello all, so are you ready for Dr Who day yet then!!

Its absolutely chucking it down here and the rivers are breaking their banks again, so fingers crossed that everyone is ok and the waters don't rise too much.

The up side is that when its raining this heavy, at least I don't feel I have been missing out on the celebrations by being poorly!

So, this is my latest make, its a lavender bag (with lavender from my garden) and a pair of ear rings, they are a stocking filler for my mum (I doubt she reads this so I should be ok).

I tried to tie in the colours so that it was co-ordinated and blues and browns are my mums colours.  

I hope you all have a wonderful festive season

Kyla
 

A dylusions icy tag

Hello, I hope that you are all prepared for the festive season...and for those that believed the world would end today...oops, looks like you need to get pressie buying quickly!!

I thought I would post a photo of my latest tag.

I coloured the tag with inks and used craft stamper magazine free cover stamps (I thought the hanging stars look a little like icicles with stars hanging off them) and a dylusions quote (I do love her quotes).  It doesn't show up in the photo but I added some glittery icicle stickles to the stars....after all we all need a little bling at this time of year!

I am entering this into the http://thestampmanuk.blogspot.co.uk/ the theme of which is "In the bleak mid winter", which is my all time favourite carol and one that if I hear it at Christmas time I belt it out......much to the horror of those near me (and the local dogs!!) and I think the cool blue colours and icicles are reminiscent of a bleak winter.

Merry Christmas 

Kyla

WOYWW

 Hello....once again up and down this land there are cries of "Wednesday already?!"....not only that but its the last one before the next Dr Who episode!! (oh OK, and Christmas!!).

Not been doing much crafting recently as I have been laid up with a wretched bug, hubby had it for 2 weeks and now I have one!  So sit back, snot rag in one hand, hot ginger and elderflower in the other and enjoy the tour of desks that the Queen of WOYWW, Julia, has created here

On my desk this week is the first couple of layers in my new journal.  I bought it on a recent trip to London at Cass Art (LOVE that shop).  Throughout 2012 I amazed myself by completing the entire 365 calendar challenge where you write a small piece of journaling every day.  It is run by the amazing Kate Crane and all the deets are here.

I used a small A5 exercise book for this years journal and found the pages had very little room to decorate once the journaling was included, so I bought an A4 sketchbook so I have plenty of room to play in 2013. 
Man Bites Dog cards this week....."Crooked priest last blonde suspect"......odd as I watched the Da Vinci Code this week....which has a blonde priest in it!!!
 

Our craft coven had their secret santa swap this week (the theme was as many gifts you could get for £10-one of the group put a fiver in a card and INDIVIDUALLY wrapped £5 of pennies for her recipient!!!), I will take a photo of the lovely goodies later in the week, but I thought I would share one of the gifts I made for my swap (I bought the other gifts).  
Its an empty plastic sweet jar and I have printed off (from Cloth Paper Scissors....my favourite magazine!) 52 art prompts.  They contain prompts such as "use only the supplies you have on your desk" or "make something using only whites"....my recipient is a great fabric artist and member of the embroidery guild, so hopefully there are some mojo prompts to challenge her.

Right, I am off to scan some desks (whilst sniffing and coughing!!)

Happy crafting and hope you stay germ free!!

Kyla

When you need a card...ignore it!

Hello peeps, are you getting ready for Christmas?  It appears that people are going crazy again and spending like there is no tomorrow, every time I drive past the shops there are queues for the shops and car parks!  I am feeling a little smug as I have already finished my shopping and made nearly all the gifts that I need to  (only a couple of small ones left). 

Now, I admit that pride does come before a fall.....my fall is cards!  Now, I know I make cards, heck I even sell them for charity.....but the Christmas cards I made I have mainly sold...which means I have NONE for sending to family and friends! 

Now, I am not a fan of working to a deadline, so instead of making cards I made a tag!  Cos I don't have enough of those do I?!

I have also been rusting some bells the past couple of weeks so I am hoping to use some of those this week of a couple of makes.

Right, I need to have a steam as I have picked up the dreaded lurgy and am all snotty and looking a little like rudolph at the moment!!

Happy Crafting
Kyla
 

WOYWW

 Wednesday again!!!!?...seriously I SWEAR the weeks never flew past as fast a couple of years ago before I started participating in WOYWW!

So this week (took the photo last night) on my desk is my 366 journal, some Christmas bits and bobs and a hand painted stamped image (more of that later) and my Cloth Paper Scissors Art prompts that I use for inspiration (inside are 52 art prompts such as "choose only black and white to create something with" you pick one at random to self start the mojo when he decides to take a holiday!)

So, the painted image on the left?  This was a stamp I bought a couple of months ago and I stamped the black outline, coloured it in and mounted in on black and then gold.  Nice, clean, simple and more importantly cheap to post as most of my cards are quite bulky!

Sorry, forgot to do my Man Bites Dog cards this week....had my first acupuncture session and I am too shattered to retake the photo!
If you would like a legal nose around desks across the globe, pop over to Julia's blog here 

Happy Crafting
Kyla
 

366 Challenge

 Hello....I hope those of you in the UK are wrapped up warm...sub zero all day....not something we are used to here.  Rain, yes.....cold...not as much!

After a hectic weekend (last of my Christmas shopping-hooray, and the Charity event on Sunday, where with personal donations we raised £400!) I finally have had a chance to catch my breath and take some photos of my 366 challenge pages.

This is my December page so far, nice and bright with orangey browns and saffron colours-a little like gingerbread people or the colour of mulled cider!

I have stamped the pages with one of my TH Christmas stamps (the snowman) and a Christmas tree stamp I was lucky enough to pick up at the WOYWW crop from the freebie table!  How cool is that?

This is my completed November page

I added lots of sparkle and fireworks to the page....and in case you were wondering the witches hats represent the nights that our crafting coven get together!

I cannot believe I have been doing this challenge for nearly a year...I have never stuck to anything for as long as this AND I have already bought a book to do next years in!

If you'd like to see all the other enteries in the 366 challenge you can find the deets here 

Happy Crafting
kyla
 

ooh get me all Christmassy for Charity

 Hello peeps,
I hope you are all having a lovely weekend....nice and crisp here today and not a sniff of rain (well I suppose it had to happen one day!).

I have decided I had better get my backside into gear and start making some Christmas goodies....after all it is December now (not a fan of making Christmas stuff so these makes are a good start!).

As you know, I love a tag, so I have made most of my cards with tags (now there's a surprise).  I thought some nice an festive (!) blue cards would be spot on.  I used dylusion inks for the background and over stamped with my new TH stamps (a cheeky purchase in london last week!).  I added a die cut deer, some pine pine cleaners attached with my tiny attacher and dyed the staples red with promarkers (loving the tiny attacher....it is coping well with everything I have thrown at it so far).  I finished it all off with a little blue foiling around the edges of the tag and the card for a little subtle bling.

This card is made much the same way but I used a stamped image of the elf balancing the pressies...I love this stamp it is so cute without being bleeuuurrg!
 

I have also been making actual tags (to put on gifts rather than cards) and used real mini pinecones (they are so dainty).
 

Finally, I have made some leather keyrings (this is just a small sample), they are 100% leather and attached with 2 part rivets....I don't own a small anvil or a rivet attacher...I must admit I just hit them real hard with a large hammer on my wooden chopping board and it seems to have worked a treat!

So why this flurry of activity?  Well, tomorrow my hubby is putting on a gig with 5 bands and 2 DJ's in Bristol, for those who have a facebook account details are here: http://www.facebook.com/events/419404098121518/ 

Its all to raise money for a charity my brother and his fiance work with in Ecuador-http://www.thephoenixprojects.org/

A great cause where they provide sustainable free education and nutrition to the poorest children-fingers crossed we raise some money (if not, guess what the family and friends are getting for christmas.....I have a LOT of these keyrings!!).

Happy crafting
kyla

 
 

WOYWW

Hello peeps,

I hope you are all keeping well.  This weeks desk has Christmas cards in progress.....yep, I admit I am having to make some!

I coloured tags with Dylusion spray inks and added a stamped image of an elf.  I added a strip of red ribbon (which came off a gift from earlier in the year!) and some fake pine and holly, securing it with my tiny attacher (I coloured the staples with red pro markers to represent berries).

I plan on mounting these on some homemade backing papers and edging with green foiling for a little seasonal bling.

At the back in the middle is a roll of leaves that look like a cross between holly or laurel....with a few red berries attached.  Either way, it is 2.75m long and cost £1!!  Bargain...from  a shop called Tiger....not sure if you get them outside London (think they are a european shop)...they have some amazing items there...all cheap but well made!

My 'Man Bites Dog' cards this week....Wife Stabs Rehab Nurse!!!!!

If you fancy taking part in a legal snoop at desks across the globe, then feel free to join here 

Happy Crafting

Kyla
 

Music, Death and Londinium

Hello peeps...what's with the title then?

Well, it sums up my weekend.....and in a good way!

Me and my OH went to London for a long weekend.  The main reason was to see a proper rock and roll band called The Sonics play at The Garage.  They have been going for years and have influenced many of the more modern rockabilly bands on the scene....and they haven't lost it!  The venue were really cool too...I popped in earlier with my walking stick and explained my problems and they said they could arrange for a seat if needed (luckily I managed to grab one of the few so that was good), and they even held the ladies toilet door open as it was heavy....so sweet.

 Never one to miss an opportunity we decided to stay in London for 3 nights (woo hoo) and even though it is sort of Christmas season (still refusing to believe its only a few weeks away)

we kept away from the centre and all the mayhem that goes with it and instead headed over to Blade Rubber (fab stamp shop near the British Museum)....when I say we, obviously I mean me...dropped hubby off at a record and book shop to give me more browsing time!!!

We also went to the Wellcome Institue.  Now, if you have never been before and have an interest in medical matters I recommend this place.  I have never been before, but they had an exhibition on Death (long story short, my mum was a hospice sister and is now an end of life educator so I have been brought up with, I think, a healthy attitude to Death).  It was free and the institutete is 2 floors (and a decent cafe to boot) of the most amazing displays.  No photos of the main exhibit as photos weren't allowed).  But....

 

 This is a slice of a plasticised body that had been donated......they also have Genome project items and many more fascinating things....

Including these amazing bottle displays.
  
Whilst in London we did walk past this....

An ENTIRE store dedicated to M&M's......nope...didn't go in (China town was calling my name!), but I couldn't resist taking a photo!

We finished off the weekend with a trip to a Vintage fair and of course, Camden Market...all in all a great few days and I look forward to scrapping them (eventually!!).

Kyla